Easy Ways To Save Money When You Travel

Traveling is great, but it can sometimes be expensive. Here are a few ways you can save money and have a better travel experience at the same time.

Currency exchange

When traveling overseas how and when you get your money is the easiest way to waste it. Do NOT exchange money before leaving home. I can counter any argument you may have to do this, so just trust me and don’t do it. Also do NOT buy traveler’s checks; those are just another travel money pit. Instead, the best way to draw out cash overseas is through an ATM. Check with your bank before leaving home and see if they have cooperative agreements with foreign banks. Better yet, get a card with no foreign transaction fees.

Grocery stores

Grocery stores are an amazing travel resource. First, they’re just fascinating from the purely cultural aspect. It means something that a supermarket in Madrid has three rows of olive oil and that in Taiwan you can pick up a roasted sweet potato and boiled tea eggs to go. But, they’re also a fantastic way to save money. I stop by a store as soon as I arrive in a new city to buy drinks like Diet Coke and water and snacks at a fraction of the price at the hotel or convenience stores. Grocery stores are also a fun place to pick up a quick lunch (many have ready-made sandwiches) or the ingredients for a fantastic picnic. They’re not always easy to find though, so ask a local (like a hotel concierge) where the nearest one is and soon you’ll be saving money on one of the most expensive aspects of travel, food.

Hotels with breakfast included

Luckily this is a common feature in many parts of the world, but be sure to check that your hotel includes breakfast in the price of the room. Filling up on a complimentary breakfast before a busy day of sightseeing isn’t only healthy, but it’s a great way to save money since you can usually get by with a lighter lunch or at least fewer snacks during the day. If the breakfast isn’t included, see if the hotel has a concierge or club level that includes it. Usually these levels also include better rooms, complimentary Wi-Fi and various meals and drinks throughout the day making them a bargain, or at least a very nice perk to consider.

Public transportation

Even if you’re not as big a fan of metro systems as I am, there’s no doubt that using them when you travel will save you a lot of time and money. At first they can be daunting, no doubt there, but usually within a day or so you’ll be walking through the station like a pro, feeling and looking like a local. Or at least someone who has lived there for a while. To help with this I use the AllSubway app on my iPhone. This app includes subway and public transportation maps for virtually every city in the world. The maps are also available off-line, which is great if you’re not using a data plan. I prefer to use my phone instead of a foldout map before I look like less of a tourist and hopefully minimize my risk as a target for pickpockets.

Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.